


Green, Gold, and Silver

by Starkindler



Series: The Fourth Age [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Cabbage Patch Hobbits, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26647204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkindler/pseuds/Starkindler
Summary: Bilbo sets up house on the outskirts of Dale, unsure of his welcome in Erebor and unwilling to risk his new Garden on the uncertainty.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Series: The Fourth Age [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938772
Comments: 40
Kudos: 691





	Green, Gold, and Silver

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Just Write Trope Bingo prompt, Inexplicable Babies.
> 
> I have a particular headcanon and worldbuilding I've built up for The Hobbit, which includes Hobbit Magic among other things. If you don't like it...well, I don't care, honestly. You know where the back button is.

"Shouldn't you think about letting them know you're in the area?" 

Bilbo looked up at the Lonely Mountain and scowled a bit before going back to working on turning the soil where he was going to do his Planting. "Mind your own bloody business, Gandalf." 

"I think after everything we've been through in the last five years, you  _ are _ my business." Gandalf smiled at him from where he was lounging in his garden chair while he watched over Bilbo. "We're practically family at this point."

"Yes, you're that annoying uncle that everyone tolerates but they secretly wish the sod would just go crawl under a rock and never come back out again." He smirked at Gandalf's affronted huff and continued tilling. He didn't actually mean that, but Gandalf was exasperating half the time. Then again, so was he. He wasn't blind to his faults. And he knew that Gandalf was right. They were practically family after everything. 

"I do like the area Bard offered you," Gandalf said after a few minutes. "The earth here is good enough for a hobbit?" 

Bilbo nodded. "It is. Considering everything that my family sent me off with, I should be able to account for any deficiencies for what I want to accomplish. If this were before... I'd have a time of it trying to live above ground since I'm so used to living under the earth, but now it just doesn't matter much. I can deal with a home above ground." 

He looked over at his new home... Small, tiny even, just big enough for himself. And Gandalf, of course, since he didn't seem to be chomping at the bit to get moving. But it was warm and homey, and it had the amenities he needed. He also had plans for a much bigger home that he would begin to break ground for once he'd Planted.

Bilbo huffed as he wiped at his brow. The weather was nice, being summer and all, but he'd been at the digging for a while. "I wish my seeds had bloody well waited another year. It's most inconvenient to be doing this before I have a big enough home and my gardens and such are fully created. I haven't even had time to put up the greenhouses I want!" 

"Children come when they decide to come," Gandalf said, "and they never take into account what you might want. I'm surprised they waited as long as they had. I'd have thought they'd press it when we were in the Shire this last time."

"I guess they wanted to be Planted nearer to their other father," Bilbo said with a sigh. "Why, I don't know. The sorry sod still hasn't lifted the banishment as far as Bard has heard. But at least he seems to be fully over the gold-madness."

Gandalf hummed and nodded. "It probably broke completely once Sauron was gone from this world. It would have broken the last of the magical taint that Smaug left behind, and the magic that would have lingered due to the Ring of Power the line of Durin carried for so long."

"I still find it absolutely ridiculous that all of you idiots would continue to use rings that you knew were tied to someone that bloody dark and malicious," Bilbo said, glaring Gandalf's way for good measure. 

"I was well-protected against the taint, I assure you, and the Elven Rings weren't connected like the others were. While he learned from the process and used it to create the others, it wasn't his magic that created them, and his malice and dark intent never touched them."

"Whatever you say, but I still maintain it was the move of three dumbarses." He sighed. "I'll consider it after I've Planted and it's all properly protected. At this point, he is not my main concern or my problem. He made his bed. He can wallow in it for a while." 

"If that is how you wish to play it, I will go along with you," Gandalf said as he pulled out his pipe and filled it. "I simply don't wish to see either of you reach a point where you cannot get along. You're neighbors, and you're Planting King Thorin's children. Both of those things mandate you at least be able to be in the presence of one another without murder being on the table."

Bilbo sighed. "I hold no real ill-will toward him, Gandalf. He hurt me emotionally, yes, but I acknowledge he was not in his right mind at the time. But it's been five years and there hasn't been any word from him left in the Shire. No dwarf came to find me. I don't expect that I will be welcome back in his life." 

He waved a hand at the mountain. "He has Erebor back, and I'm sure he's being run ragged trying to get it back into proper order. I can't even imagine the kind of rebuilding they may need to do due to Smaug's destruction. Do I wish I was able to help? Of course. But from where I stand, I have to assume that he's content that I'm gone from his life." He shrugged. "A quest was perhaps not the proper place to actually invest oneself in that kind of relationship. Emotions are high, and there's panic and camaraderie that inherently builds in those types of situations, I've found. And down that road lies attachments that may not be for the best." 

Bilbo gave Gandalf a look. "How do you think I managed to end up with a permanent wizard attachment?"

"You may have a point there, but you won't know for certain unless you speak to him." Clearly, he was going to ignore Bilbo's jab just as he often did. 

"I'll think about it once I'm sorted. You cannot ask more of me than that." He motioned to the garden. "This has to be my priority, not Thorin bloody Oakenshield and his delicate feelings on any matter."

Gandalf nodded. "Very well. I know I can't help with the creation of the garden. Is there anything I  _ can _ do other than sit around like a numpty, as you so delightfully tell me I do every bloody day?"

"The new traders came in yesterday," Bilbo said. "You could go shopping for me. The list of things I'm looking for is on the desk, and you know what I like by now. You should be able to get along just fine without me. And you know what I'm always on the lookout for. Plus anything you want to be stocked up for winter."

"Alright. I'll go and see what I can find for you. And if I run into any of the company?"

"I'd prefer not to be bothered right now, in the middle of this. I cannot possibly deal with any of the drama that would come with any of them," Bilbo said. "Can't you just be mysterious and annoying? And make sure none of them follow you home. Especially Nori. That arsehole is sneaky."

"And he's also your favorite," Gandalf said with a laugh.

"He is, and I normally wouldn't mind if he did show up, but if he did, it could cause him problems to keep my secret. I'd much rather not put him into that kind of situation. I like him too much to make his life difficult in that way. Dori would probably lecture him for days, and the less about what Ori would probably do to him, the better. And really, his hair couldn't abide a stint in the cells if Thorin took exception to his secrecy."

Gandalf laughed and headed inside while Bilbo blew out a breath and then returned to his tilling.

~*~

Thorin's eyebrows shot up when Bofur came into the company's private meeting room, which was a full suite where they could get away from the hectic life of Erebor and just be around one another. "Is something amiss?"

"No, I don't think so. I just ran into Tharkûn down in the trader's market in Dale."

"Tharkûn's in the area? What in the world for?" Thorin asked as he set aside his paperwork. 

"No idea. You know how he is. Always so bloody mysterious and doesn't truly answer any of your questions. He was buying some things that seem odd for a wizard, but what do I know about them anyway? He had this interesting hand cart that seemed to hold more than you thought it would. Was kind of hobbity to my mind, but when I asked, all he said was that he was gifted it from the Thain of the Shire. So it explains that." He shrugged. "Didn't get much more out of him." 

"And he said nothing about Bilbo?"

"Nothing other than he was healthy and working diligently on his garden when I asked." 

Thorin sighed and slumped in his seat. "At least we know he is well, then. Did you tell him the banishment was lifted?"

"No, but then again, he didn't ask and didn't seem inclined to speak of Bilbo. You know how wizards are, Thorin. I didn't want to anger him by pressing him too much. He seemed a bit put out that I mentioned him at all. Not sure why."

"Likely because when they left I was still having problems with the gold-sickness and didn't lift the banishment. I am well aware of how much I hurt Bilbo by doing so, but..."

"You were worried that if he stayed, you might hurt him while fighting off the last of the madness, or that someone else might and you would be too distracted to stop it from happening," Bofur said, nodding. "We know, Thorin. And we agreed with it, but I think it was also a mistake for us to have left it as long as we did." 

"He never answered the missives we did send," Thorin pointed out. "I have to think that Bilbo simply wishes to be left alone."

" _ If _ he got them," Bofur pointed out. "The ravens wouldn't take them so they had to go by a messenger from realm to realm. Who knows if they even made it through, whether by the design of someone being malicious or petty or because of the inherent dangers. Many of the orcs and goblins left from the battle would have retreated to the Misty Mountains. We've had more than our fair share of skirmishes the last five years because those arseholes can't bloody let that defeat go."

"And if that's the case, sending more is pointless," Thorin replied. "Those letters will likely meet whatever end the others did. I have to wonder if Thranduil would be that petty."

"I wouldn't put it past him, in spite of him getting his stupid jewels back. He likes taking it out on us that his youngest son has left and refuses to return to the forest."

"He's the one that sent him off in the first bloody place." Thorin shook his head. "I would hope he wouldn't be, but we know what he can be like. Gandalf was still in the markets when you left?" 

"He was," Bofur said. "You have something in mind?"

"Send Nori down to see if he can find him. Tell him not to approach, but to watch him from afar and see what he does. And for the love of Mahal, tell him to do something with his hair. That will be a dead giveaway for Gandalf." 

"I'll let him know," Bofur said, running out. 

Thorin huffed and went back to his paperwork since there wasn't anything he could do about the entire situation at this point. He would just have to hope that Gandalf could tell him about Bilbo.

He frowned and rubbed at his chest before concentrating on what he needed to finish. 

~*~

Bilbo was washing up in the house when Gandalf came in, laughing a little to himself. "What's so funny?"

"Nori was trying to follow me," he said. "I ran into Bofur soon after I got to the markets, and I suppose he mentioned to someone that I was there. Nori arrived about half an hour ago and was following me about. In disguise, mind you, but my magic knows him well." 

Bilbo snorted. "How did you get away from him?"

"You know I can travel fast and nearly invisible when I want to," Gandalf told him. "I simply utilized my abilities to remove myself from his view and came back here the long way around. I made sure he wasn't anywhere near when I arrived."

Bilbo huffed and shook his head. "They're likely curious as to what you're up to. Usually, where you are, trouble follows. Or there's trouble and you just follow it like it's a grand holiday. You do realize there's something very wrong with you, don’t you?"

"Says the hobbit who managed to say no to a quest then came barreling through half the bloody Shire just to catch up," Gandalf retorted. "You made that bloody decision all on your own. You can't blame me for that one." 

"You'll find that I can blame you for just about anything if given enough time to think in it, but whatever. The point is, Grandpa Gerontius labeled you a disturber of the peace for a bloody reason. The dwarves know you, particularly that group. If you're running amok in the area, they have to wonder if another dragon is going to come down on their heads. Nevermind that all the greater dragons are now gone."

"There's still the lesser dragons. But they're deep in their burrows at the moment and generally aren't inclined to bother others unless provoked or it's convenient to them," Gandalf said as he washed his hands and then began pulling things from the cart. "There's a reason that Morgoth had to corrupt them to make the greater dragons. They simply weren't inclined to the kind of malice and destruction that Morgoth desired."

"Be that as it may, let's not poke them with a bloody stick. I'd rather not have to deal with one of those things ever again, lesser or not." Bilbo peered into the cart. "How did you do on your shopping expedition?" 

"I made a real dent in your list," Gandalf said. "I stuck to the colors you and the Durins are inclined to favor for the materials and yarns for the children, and I bought a great deal of some of the thicker and softer materials. And there were a few spice and tea merchants there, so I was able to add to your stores of teas, coffee, and cocoa."

"Excellent. That will give me some leeway on expediting the growth of my trees once I get the greenhouses for them up," he said. "I was productive as well. I got all the area tilled and I've separated the dirt into baskets so I can do the proper mixing tomorrow."

"Which reminds me," Gandalf said, pulling a large pouch out and handing it to Bilbo. "Bard was able to get the gem chips and the small bits of silver you wanted. Gloin helped him and Bard said that they looked at him like he'd lost his mind considering what he was requesting, but since he was paying they indulged him. He was also able to get some small pieces of stone from the mountain itself. Apparently, there are heaps of it just outside the doors since they're working on cleaning everything up and reconstructing several areas at the moment."

"Excellent," Bilbo said, taking the bag and dumping its contents into a large bowl. "Yes, this will do very well. I'll have to make Bard something special for the inconvenience of having to deal with the teasing he likely endured."

"Yes, the dwarves can be arseholes at times," Gandalf replied. "I was able to cross many of the staples you wanted to stock up on for the winter off as well. I got enough that I think would even appease you." 

Bilbo laughed. "Excellent. Now I just need to make sure I have enough space for it all. I cannot wait to be able to break ground on the new house." 

"There should be enough space in the pantry and the cold cellar if we get creative," Gandalf mused. "And we can always utilize one of your bags for the excess." 

"Very true," Bilbo said with a sigh. "We'll do the best with what we have at the moment, and once I'm done with the Planting, I'll be sure to take the time first thing to reorganize everything properly to make good use of our limited space."

"I would offer to help with dinner, but we both know how terrible I am in a kitchen." 

Bilbo snorted. "I don't know how you made boiling water such a tragic event, but I agree. Why don't you go and do some of those translations you were poking at? We'll have to give those books to Erebor eventually, and they likely won't be inclined to let you look at them then, in spite of what Mahal may have to say about it. You know how secretive they are."

"Yes, and Mahal is ruing the day he made that decision. It's worked on occasion but it's detrimental to their ability to thrive more often than not." Gandalf nodded. "Very well. I'm currently working on one of Durin I's journals. It's a very interesting read. I'm surprised that it still exists." 

Bilbo shrugged. "It was there with the rest of those things in Moria. Either they always had it or Mahal was nice enough to add it to the pile. Who knows, but this will likely be your only chance to be nosy, so nose away."

Gandalf snorted and left the room, while Bilbo finished putting away the rest of the groceries and then hauled the rest of his supplies to the storage room to put up later. Then he got to work making dinner.

~*~

"I lost him."

Thorin quirked a brow at Nori as he walked in. "Gandalf?"

"Yeah. I found him in the markets and followed him around for about half an hour, but then he seemed to disappear. I couldn't pick up a trace of him after that." 

"Odd. I don't understand why he would want to hide that he was around. Then again, he is a wizard. They're odd on the best of days."

"Should we keep an eye on Dale, see if we can discover what he's doing?" Nori asked.

Thorin thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, let's. I'd like to know if there is an issue we need to be worried about. Where Gandalf is there is usually trouble afoot. But send some of your lads that he doesn't know. He has magic, so perhaps he detected you following him about. He would know you well because of the quest, and he likely wouldn't forget that sort of thing."

"I can set up a rotation. I doubt he'll be running amok during the night, so we'll stick to the daylight hours and the earlier evenings." 

Thorin watched him leave and then sighed as he rubbed his eyes. 

"Why don't you take the rest of the day, Thorin?" Balin said from where he was sitting next to the fire. "I'll have the kitchens send a meal up for you at dinner." 

"I have more paperwork to go through," Thorin said, though he had made a rather large dent in the pile.

"And it will wait until tomorrow. I know for a fact that there is nothing pressing left in that pile. Everything that was worth your immediate notice was at the top of it this morning, just as it is every single morning. You'll do none of us any good if you're run off your feet. I realize why you push yourself so hard, but it's not doing us or him any favors if you run yourself into the ground and die of exhaustion."

"I miss him like I'm missing a limb," Thorin said as he gathered his things and placed them into a neat pile on his personal side table.

"I know, and if we can fix it, we will, but you have to live that long, you stubborn arse."

"I am your king, you know." Thorin gave him a look.

"I know that all too well, as I've always known it, long before you ever put that crown on top of your head, but that doesn't stop you from being a stubborn arse," Balin said, completely unrepentant. "But I will say that you are a good king, just as I knew you would always be, in spite of that fact."

"I feel so loved and appreciated." 

"You're welcome."

Thorin snorted and stood. "I'll head to my rooms then. Throw any idiot who decides they're important enough to break my seclusion into a cell until the morning."

"Is it shameful to hope the Dravlok acts up?"

Thorin laughed. "No. I hope he does as well. He could use a night or fifty inside a cell to deflate that ego of his." 

"Have a good night, Thorin. And do try to get more than an hour or two of sleep." 

"I'll do my best," he said and slipped out the door, heading the back route toward his chambers. 

Once inside, he made quick work of changing out his normal garb for a light tunic and linen trousers, and then he wandered out onto the terraces that wound their way down the side of the mountain and onto a large valley below. One of his side projects, when he'd discovered them, had been to put up an impenetrable wall around the valley, hoping that the area would please Bilbo should he return to Erebor. He'd also kept the chambers next to his own empty, as they had a full kitchen that he was certain Bilbo would adore.

That he wouldn't allow anyone, even his own sister, to have them was a bone of contention between himself and his siblings. Often Frerin was a neutral party whenever the eldest and youngest clashed, but on this, he had decided to plant himself on Dís' hill to die on. It didn't sway Thorin's decision, however, and his word was law, whether they liked it or agreed with it or not. They didn't seem to grasp that if he allowed it, it would make things even more difficult when he threw her and Víli out if Bilbo did return, because they were his. 

Well, Víli understood it, but he knew Bilbo, and he also knew that no one could out-stubborn Thorin...with the exception of Bilbo Baggins. Víli had been on the quest with them, after all, so he saw from the outset how well Thorin did against the stubborn willfulness of a hobbit who was more often than not right about any given situation that he had even the remotest experience with. But Víli had taken the stance that he was not going to play mediator between three stubborn idiots when he had a toddler running amok that needed more attention than a bunch of full-grown adults acting about the same age.

He'd slept on the sofa for a week after that decision was made, but Thorin supposed Dís got lonely. Or cold. Or something. She could be downright bitchy when she wanted. Just like every single Durin to ever exist, and he included himself in that. 

Amusingly enough, for him at least, Fíli and Kíli had come down on his side about the suite. And neither of them could be swayed no matter what Dís said or how disappointed she appeared. They just sent the same look right back at her and went on their merry way, completely unperturbed by her stance. It had shocked her, but really, what had Dís expected when they went on a quest such as theirs? That they were going to be the same impressionable and somewhat naïve boys that they had been when they first departed? 

They'd nearly died. They all nearly died. Thorin still wasn't sure how they hadn't, what with the injuries they'd sustained, but they'd managed somehow. If anyone else knew the answer, none of them were saying anything about it. It was baffling, and a little bit maddening if he was honest, but he'd learned to let it go and put it behind him. He was simply thankful that they had all made it through.

Sighing softly, Thorin dropped into the chair near the door and enjoyed the fresh air. He loved being under his mountain again, being in the home he'd dreamed of since it was taken from them, but he did sometimes miss the fresh air and the greenery that the Blue Mountains had offered, in spite of the harsher living conditions. It was the main reason he'd had the doors put into his quarters so he could access the terraces himself without having to go through the other suite.

He relaxed completely and had certainly dozed off because the next thing he knew it was much darker and his shoulder was being shaken and Bombur was calling his name.

"Hello, Bombur. Is something amiss?"

"No. I brought your dinner," he said, stepping back a couple of paces. "The terrace doors were open so I thought you were out here. Bofur helped me up with your food. He's uncovering the crystals and lighting the fires for you right now."

"Thank you. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep so deeply." Thorin got up and grimaced at the stiffness in his neck and back. "That wasn't my brightest idea."

Bombur snorted. "Considering how you were positioned, I'd have to say not," he said as he walked back inside. "Balin told me you were staying in, so I made you that shepherd's pie that you enjoy, and there is a blackberry tart for dessert. And those honey rolls you favor."

All hobbit recipes that Bilbo had exchanged with Bombur during the journey to Erebor. They'd spent quite a few hours talking food and cooking and exchanging recipes, much to the amusement and bafflement of the rest of the company, but Thorin certainly couldn't fault the results of it.

"Thank you. It sounds perfect." He went into the nearest bathroom and washed his hands thoroughly before coming back out to find Bombur dishing up a helping.

"Here. Balin said you could use the comfort food tonight, as you've been working too hard." 

"Balin is a menace and a mother hen of the first degree."

"He is. Doesn't mean he's wrong, though," Bofur told him in his usual cheerful manner. "Fire's going in your bedroom as well. We'll leave you to your evening. Oh, and Balin wanted you to know that Dravlok is about two complaints away from a prison cell. Said you'd understand."

Thorin snorted. "Tell him he has my blessing."

Bofur grinned. "I will. Goodnight, Thorin!" 

"Goodnight," he said as he tucked into his meal while they departed. It was as delicious as it always was, and he ate far more than was advisable, mainly because he was stuffed before he ever got to the tart. He left that on the table and found his book that he didn't have nearly enough time to finish, and settled into his chair next to the fire.

After a few hours, he had enough room to eat his dessert, which he most certainly did while he was reading, and once that was done he headed off to bed to read some more. It was late into the night before he felt tired enough to call it a day, and he prepared himself for his cold, lonely bed. He knew he only had himself to blame, but he still hated the fact that Bilbo wasn't there. He wondered if Bilbo was happy in his smial in his far off land, and whether or not he actually missed Thorin as much as Thorin missed him. 

It was these dreary thoughts that followed him into sleep and gave him weird dreams.

~*~

"Is Dravlok still sulking because he was thrown into a cell?" Thorin asked Balin two days later. 

"Yes, but I told him that if he didn't desist, he was going to find himself in them for two nights. Honestly, you wouldn't think the bloody idiot was a full-grown dwarf-lord with the way he acts."

"He thrives on being a pain in the arse because people will often capitulate to his desires because they simply wish for him to shut up," Thorin said. "Any word from Nori on Gandalf?"

"Nay, not a word, but then again, he hasn't been seen in the town. Rumor has it he's been staying there for some time, but he tends to keep to himself. And no one speaks of where he might be living at the moment. I don't know if that's by design or if they simply don't know."

"With him, it could be either. We'll keep to it for a few more days, but if he doesn't appear, we'll rethink the watch. They likely have better things to do." Thorin grimaced at the pile of paperwork he needed to read through. "Are there any meetings or inspections on the docket for today?"

"Nay, it's clear as far as having to deal with anyone. Everything's going smoothly for the moment. Your presence isn't actually needed if you prefer not to work in your office today."

Thorin nodded and started piling his things together. “It's a nice day today. I think I'm going to sit out on the terraces and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air since I can. It's not going to be long before the weather starts turning colder."

"No, not this far north," Balin agreed, holding open Thorin's bag so he could slide his parchments inside it without issue. "Go. I will inform Bombur that you will have lunch in your chambers."

"And dinner. I want to try and get through all of this today, so making small talk at the table for hours is the  _ last _ thing I want to do." He sighed. "I'm still behind on it. Honestly, if I'd known that I was going to have to deal with this much paperwork, I'd have tossed the kingship to Dáin and run for the bloody hills."

Balin laughed. "You would not, but I wouldn't have blamed you if you did."

"Dáin probably would have killed me. He wanted to be a king like he wanted a hole in his head. Thor would do much better at king than he would, but last time I said that he simply gave me a look as though I were full of shit."

"I adore Dáin's boy," Balin said with a laugh. "He's such a treat to have around."

"He is. I'm hoping he'll come soon for a visit. He's about due one, and I know his sisters are in their toddler years and likely driving him crazy. Apparently, they are very boisterous like their father."

"Mahal help us all." Balin followed him out of the office. 

Thorin laughed. "Thor, when he last wrote, said that his mother kept giving Dáin these looks every time they did something that was clearly something he would do. Says his mother adores her girls beyond reason but is a bit put out that they're nothing like her and all like their father."

"Well, Thor is more like her than Dáin, even in looks, so it's a trade-off. So is Náin. Náin should come and visit along with this brother. He's a delight." 

"Dáin needs to stop naming his children after close family," Thorin said. "It gets a little confusing at times."

"Gets even more so when Thor comes to visit and some people refuse to refer to him as anything but Thorin when you two are in the same room," Balin replied. 

"I keep forgetting that most of them call me Your Majesty," Thorin said, shaking his head. "I was simply Thorin for most of my life. And that's how my family and the whole company and their families refer to me, so..."

"Something we have to live with. Now off with you before someone finds some kind of idiotic nonsense to bother you with." Balin shooed him off in the direction of the lifts, which he managed to get to without someone stopping him for a change.

He made it into the royal wing unscathed and then sighed when he saw his sister. Which irritated him to no end, because he shouldn't fucking sigh like that when it came to her. "Hello, Dís."

"Thorin," she said. "Did you forget something?"

"No. I had no meetings or need to be around the office all day so I'm going to work from my suite today."

"Yes, I hear that it's a lovely day outside. Must be nice to have terrace access," she said, her tone just snide enough to set his teeth on edge.

"Yes, and I plan to enjoy every single minute of it until it is too dark to see outside," he said and walked past her. He barely refrained from rolling his eyes when he saw Frerin leaning against the wall further down. He'd clearly heard their exchange.

"You should just let her have the rooms and be done with it," Frerin told him mildly as he opened his chamber door.

Thorin went in, Frerin following him. "And you should mind your own damn business and remember just who you are speaking with, but you clearly aren't capable. I have made my decision known. You know why I refuse to let her move in. Even if I allow it on a temporary basis, with the understanding that if Bilbo returns she will have to remove herself from them and she agrees, you know what kind of strop she's going to throw when it happens. You  _ know _ her, Frerin. 

"I love Dís. She has always been a great help to me and has supported me, but you know how she is. She was spoiled before we were ever run from the mountain because she was the first girl in four generations to be born to the main line. It only got worse after Smaug came. You wouldn't think so, but you know it's true. She is used to having things go her way or else, and we indulged it. We shouldn't have, but we did. It was our mistake, but things are not the same as they were in the Blue Mountains. It's an entirely new situation, and I cannot afford to let her run roughshod over me."

"She's not trying to run roughshod over you, Thorin," Frerin said with exasperation. "She doesn't want to see you languishing over a lost cause."

"It has nothing to do with that, so don't try to excuse her behavior," Thorin snapped. "There are a hundred ways she could attempt to help if that were her end goal. She didn't get her way when she got here, so now she's engaging in a war of belligerence and childish behavior in order to get what she wants. And it's been going on for bloody years. It's  _ shameful  _ is what it is, and even if I were inclined to give up my hope that Bilbo will return, I still wouldn't give her the rooms due to how she's acting. It's unbecoming of a Princess of Erebor, and anyone else would throw her in the cells and censure her for her behavior toward her king."

Frerin threw up his hands. "Alright, put Dís aside. What is so bloody great about this hobbit who won't even answer your letters that you send him? Why will you indulge his childish tantrums of not answering you after all these years, when clearly you have issues with indulging such behavior?"

"First of all, I don't know that he ever received them. They had to go by messenger and there are many ways in which they could have gone amiss. Second of all, even if he were engaging in a tantrum, as you put it, he would be completely justified.  _ You don't know _ . You weren't here with us. You didn't make that journey. I know why you didn't and it's no fault of yours that you couldn't be a part of it, but the fact remains, you weren't here until long after the fact. You can be told all you want, but you have no idea. You and Dís didn't return until the gold-sickness had completely broken, so you don't have any idea what went on, what it was really like. You barely recall Thrór's gold madness. It's nothing but a vague memory for you, and for that I am glad. 

"And third, I can't give up hope on him, because he is my heart and soul. I was just too sick to fix it before I broke it. Now all I can do is hope." Thorin turned and set his bag down on the table.

"But why? He's just a hobbit."

"He's not  _ just _ anything," Fíli said from the doorway. Thorin turned to see him leaning against the frame. "And Thorin's right. You don't know. Amad doesn't know. Even Thorin doesn't know all. We kept it from him because we knew it would make things worse for him at first, and then we didn't know how to tell him."

He looked at Frerin. "But to answer  _ why _ , Bilbo Baggins is Thorin's One. Hobbits are the children of Yavanna and Mahal, and he crafted Bilbo just for him. We all saw it. Where Thorin is weak, Bilbo is strong, and vice versa. But there were a lot of factors at play and so many things happening all at once that everything just fell apart. And there were people who stuck their noses in where they didn't belong at the wrong damned times, and it muddied the waters even further, which is why we are where we are."

"What are you talking about, Fíli? What don't I know?"

Fíli sighed heavily. "We honestly didn't mean to keep it from you for so long. But as I said, you were in such a state at first that we didn't think it advisable, and then once you were stable and the sickness was gone, we didn't know how to tell you. And then it got harder to bring it up and easier to just let it go. I am sorry for it."

"What?" Thorin sat down and motioned to the chair.

Fíli took it and stared down at his hands. "We know why we survived. You don't remember, because you were unconscious, so you never saw, but I and Kíli weren't." He ran a hand over his mouth. "It was Bilbo. He healed all of us enough to get us to Óin, and then he worked himself half to death to heal not only us further but every dwarrow that was injured gravely. He could only do so much because he was exhausted and his magic was overworked, but I'd say that there are several hundred dwarrow that either owes their lives or the continued presence of various limbs and the ability to walk to Bilbo Baggins."

Fíli shook his head. "I don't know why he left so soon after, while you were barely conscious and still gold-mad in some ways. I remember that you wouldn't see him because of the fear or lift the banishment to let him back into the camps. We had already defied that banishment for him to heal and couldn't risk his life further because there were others who looked like they wanted to cause him harm. As I said, things were getting muddied due to some of those who had come with Dáin. Not the soldiers, but some of the lords. 

"All I remember is Gandalf and Bilbo speaking intently to one another and with Thranduil, and Thranduil offering him one of his horses. Then they left before anyone could do anything, and all Thranduil would say was that they had to leave. You still had problems with the gold-sickness when you managed to stay awake for more than two minutes and well...you know the rest of it. So we didn't discuss what he'd done or how he'd left. Just told you he was gone."

He wanted to be angry, to be furious with them for keeping it from him all these years, but he couldn't. He did remember how he was then, and once he was cured of the sickness, it likely would have broken him had he known. He'd been in a somewhat delicate state mentally for a while. Even at this moment, he was gutted though he did his best to keep that off his face. "I hold no ill will toward you lot, lad. I do understand why you kept it to yourself, and I can see how you never could find a way to tell me." 

"Why did you never say he was your One," Frerin asked, looking horrified. "Dís would have never carried on if she'd known, I'm sure." 

"She knows, Uncle Frerin. She's known for years. She and father argued about it a long time ago and he told her all about it. She simply doesn't care, because he's not here and she wants what she wants and doesn't see why she can't have it. I love Amad but I'm not blind to her faults. She's a strong leader and a good princess in a lot of ways. Most ways, actually, but when it comes to how she is with family, she's completely different than most would think. If you haven't noticed, she doesn't do any of what she does here in the royal wing where the rest of the mountain can see it. She's not going to damage herself in that way in the eyes of the rest of Erebor."

Frerin huffed as he sat down heavily. "How did I miss all of this going on? I mean, I knew she was behaving in a terrible manner, but I didn't know the details, clearly. I didn't even know about him being your One, which makes your stance, Thorin, so much clearer as to why, but why did no one tell me?"

Fíli shrugged. "We thought you knew, and you were just indulging Amad like you often do. I don't know if you realize this, uncle, but while most of the time you remain neutral in their arguments, when you do take a side, you  _ always _ take Amad's. Even when she's clearly in the wrong or is being unreasonable. And usually, you take her side eventually if the clash isn't brief." 

Frerin looked off in the distance, clearly thinking about it, and Thorin took the time to start sorting his paperwork, smiling at Fíli when he helped. After several minutes, Frerin huffed and they looked up to see the disgruntled expression on his face.

"How did I not see it? I'm sorry, Thorin. I didn't realize I was doing it."

Thorin smiled a little at him. "I won't say it's alright, because I could have used your support when she was being unreasonable throughout the years, but I do understand it. I had to train myself out of it once Adad was gone and I realized how much he spoiled her and indulged and even encouraged her brattiness. So I understand. But at least now you know?"

Frerin nodded. "I do, and it stops today. I cannot believe I have been so blind. And I am especially sorry about this whole thing with your hobbit. I honestly thought him simply a member of your company, which should have been enough of a reason, I know, but now..." He nodded. "You have my support in this from now on. And I am going to stop taking her side in all things unless she really is in the right."

"It does happen from time to time, I have to admit," Thorin said with a little laugh. "But it usually has to do with the city at large, both when we were in Ered Luin and here. But when it comes to personal things, you always have to look at it from all angles to see what she's really trying to do. She'll manipulate you if she can. She learned to do it from a very young age and she's honestly very good at it. Great when negotiating with arseholes, but infuriating when dealing with her as my sister."

"Right. Well, I'll let you get to what you were doing, and will find a place to self-flagellate where you don't have to watch." He winced as he got up. "I need to see if Óin has any more of that concoction of his. It really helps with the pain in my scarring."

"You mean the concoction that he got the recipe from Bilbo for?" Fíli asked dryly. "That Bilbo taught him step by step, and provided him with the seeds so he could have someone grow the plants for him?"

Frerin snorted. "I should have known. He never had it until after your little jaunt. I suck. I'm going to go and soak my beard."

"A Bilbo insult, that one is. He used it frequently on Thorin, and we all picked it up through the journey," Fíli called out, laughing when Frerin threw his hands in the air again and walked out, closing the door behind himself. "At least he's sorted."

"I wish your mother could so easily be dealt with."

"Maybe now we can get her to realize how she's behaving. Adad hasn't wanted to upset her because of the youngest of us, so he doesn't say much when she acts this way. He used to, before the pregnancy. The four of us always found it entertaining, honestly. It's why we could see how Amad was. She would argue with him about you, and he'd often take your side in things. There were times when I think she would have threatened divorce if he wasn't her One. You know how volatile Amad can be when she gets her back up on some things." Fíli shrugged. "But right now he's keeping the peace as much as he can because Amara is too young to understand that adults can argue without it being the end of the world."

"Hopefully things will be a little better now that I don't have to fight  _ two _ of my siblings on stupid matters." He stood up. "I was going to work on this outside."

"I'll help. I'm free at the moment."

"As you well should be. It's your day off," Thorin said. 

Fíli shrugged. "I spent some time in the forges, but I wasn't feeling it today. A big project hasn't caught my interest, and I didn't want to waste time someone else could be using it on fiddly, unimportant pieces that weren't holding my attention." 

"Understandable. At least it means I'll be done sooner rather than later." 

The two set up at the table that overlooked the expanse that led toward Dale and got to work. At lunch Bombur brought enough for two, clearly having been told by someone that Fíli was lurking about, and by mid-afternoon, they were finished and had just tucked the papers into Thorin's bag, when a flash of green, gold, and silver light caught their attention. It lasted for a good minute before it died down. 

"What the bloody hell was that?" 

"I don't know, but it's curious, isn't it?" Thorin said, quirking a brow and grinning at him. "Want to grab Kíli and see if we can find out the answer?"

"Yes!" Fíli said, jumping up. "I'll go get him. I know where he is. Meet you at the front gates!" 

~*~

Bilbo hummed happily as he looked over his garden. The Planting had gone extremely well, even better than he'd hoped. The light show was a bit much, but Yavanna and Mahal were both well-known by Hobbits to hold to the adage 'go big or go home'. Hopefully, no one was paying attention because he didn't want a bunch of people attempting to trample across his property in the midst of their curiosity.

"Looks healthy and strong," Gandalf said when he came out a couple of hours or so after Bilbo completed the ritual.

"It is. The seeds took to the Planting very well. I'm quite proud of it," Bilbo replied as he added a bit more regular soil to the top, making sure all the little stones and gems were hidden. The last thing he needed was some greedy sod to come stumbling across it and attempt to poke at it. 

Not that they would be successful, but he really didn't want to have to deal with a smoking body because they couldn't leave well enough alone. In his experience, most people were idiots, and there was nothing so tempting to another person who wanted what someone else had. What happened with Erebor and Lake-town and Thranduil was clear proof of that.

"Any idea how many there will be? I don't know much about the process." Gandalf sat in his usual chair and inspected the garden from that distance. Smart wizard. 

"At least two, since there were two seeds that were planted. If there are more than that, we won't know until the flowers bloom in six months." As it always was.

"So basically all that's left to do is tend to it when needed and wait for the good news."

"Exactly so. I'll press some of my magic into the garden for the first few days, each morning and evening, and then I'll let it settle for seven days. Those days it's just best to leave it alone and let it get on with itself."

"In other words, it doesn't need you hovering like a mother hen," Gandalf said, laughing when Bilbo stuck his tongue out at him.

"No, it doesn't. So that time I'll be able to make the final decision on the plans for the house and the placement. After I have that, I can block out the placement of the greenhouses and get to breaking ground for all of it." 

"Just remember I'll help wherever you allow me to." 

"I know you will. And I plan on letting you. I'd rather not have to do all the heavy lifting on my own, even if it's mostly magical." He jerked a thumb to the house. "I'm going to get myself something to eat. You want anything?"

"Food? No. Some wine would be lovely if you don't mind."

"I'll be right back." Bilbo trotted in and grabbed some of the premade foods he had in stock, as well as the wine and ale for himself. He also grabbed a few of the cakes he knew Gandalf liked because he'd likely change his mind at some point. He took a few minutes to gather all his plans in a bag and then he wandered back out and handed the glass to Gandalf, settling the bottle of wine on the table.

"Thank you, Bilbo." 

"You are most welcome." He sat down and situated everything where he wanted it, and then he tucked into his meal, plowing his way through it with barely any manners, he knew, but Planting was hungry work.

"Starving, are you?" Gandalf asked him, clearly amused.

"I am," he said once he swallowed. "I'll be shoveling food in quite often for the next several days. It takes a lot magically to Plant properly. I'll expend much magic in the next three days, and then I'll need at least two after that of using no magic to completely replenish my core."

"Hence working on the placement before starting the work," Gandalf said with a nod.

"Right." Bilbo quieted and finished up with his meal and then he started sorting through his plans while Gandalf took his dishes back into the house. He was gone for a bit, so Bilbo thought he'd probably washed them while he was inside. 

"So I know you plan on placing the house directly behind this one," Gandalf said once he sat down again and peered down at the map of Bilbo's land. "How close do you want the greenhouses?" 

"Not too terribly, but not far either," he said as he tapped his fingers against the map. "I'd like to not have to tromp through hundreds of feet of snow to get to them. 

"What about either here or here?" Gandalf said, pointing to two different areas. "Or both, facing one another from either side of the land. Make them longer rather than wider, and you may be able to get several on either side and not take up too much space, and then the rest of the property on the opposite side can be used for crops, animal pens, and there will still be plenty of room around the house for the flower gardens and any spices and vegetables you want to add outside near the house." 

Bilbo nodded. "Yes, that might work. I need to look at the land in those areas, see how much work needs to be done. It may take some time to level certain parts, depending on how long we make the greenhouses." He sniffed as he made some notations on the map with a pencil. "This will leave this center area for a play area." 

"Bilbo...."

"Hmm?" he said distractedly as he started writing in his journal, making more detailed notes.

"Bilbo."

"What?" 

"Bilbo."

Bilbo huffed and glared up at him. "Yes, Gandalf? What is it?"

Gandalf pointed beyond them and Bilbo turned to see what he was pointing at and he felt the blood drain from his face. 

Thorin, Fíli, Kíli, and Dwalin were standing next to the house, staring at him like they'd seen a ghost. He felt the same way, honestly. "Um....hello?"

"Bilbo," Thorin said, his voice hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here?" 

Gandalf snorted but was otherwise unhelpful.

Thorin stepped closer. "How long?"

"About a month," he said. He tilted his head. "How did you figure out I was here?"

"We didn't. Fíli and I were on the terrace and saw green, silver, and gold glowing in the distance and decided to figure out the mystery since we were done with work for the day. Was that you?" 

Bilbo nodded. "Yes, it was. I was...Planting and apparently Mahal and Yavanna were very enthusiastic about it." 

Gandalf stood up. "Fíli, Kíli, Dwalin. Why don't we go inside and put together some tea while these two talk?" 

The three nodded and followed Gandalf, the sod, leaving him alone with Thorin, who looked gutted. Bilbo tilted his head. "How are you?"

"I am well," Thorin said, sitting down after a few moments. "Why did you not let us know you were here?"

"Honestly? I wasn't sure of my welcome, and considering my delicate state when I arrived, it was best I not deal with all of this until it was prudent to do so."

"I don't understand? Are you ill?" Thorin asked. "And so there's no misunderstanding, I lifted the banishment long ago. And I did send several letters to the Shire."

Bilbo frowned. "They never made it there. Drogo, who lives in Bag End now, would have saved them for me. Elrond never had anyone bringing letters through. Neither did Thranduil. And he would have mentioned it to me since I convinced Legolas to go and at least visit his family this last time, the bloody toddler." Bilbo huffed. "I don't care how angry he is with his father, he has siblings that have missed him terribly, and it's not their fault their father is an arse ninety percent of the time." 

Thorin sighed. "I'll see if I can discover why that is. Now, are you ill?"

"No, not at all," Bilbo said, biting his bottom lip. "Do you remember the conversation we had about a hobbit having children?"

Thorin blinked. "I remember that you said something about creating a seed and planting it and letting it grow, but we thought it was some kind of Hobbit euphemism for sex and procreation." 

Bilbo snorted. "Not so much a euphemism." He blew out a breath. "There... A hobbit..." He laughed a little. "This is a little difficult to explain."

"I have the time. Take all you need. I would like to understand why you've not told us you were here." 

"Alright. So, Hobbits do things differently than most peoples when it comes to making babies. We know this, but we don't speak much of it to outsiders, both because it's complicated to explain and because we don't want people being nosy or stupid and poking about where they don't belong."

"Hobbits can create seeds either through romantic love, which is most common. They can also create them if two people who have no interest in a romantic relationship at all come together in a deep friendship and family love because they both desire to have children but don't want the other aspects that go with romantic love. It's a little more difficult but it does happen. I know several couples and have family members who have had children in this way."

"How the seed is made...It's a magical endeavor and we're not sure exactly how that process works or what goes into it. All we know is that after a certain point, we often develop seeds. They'll lie dormant within us, and we can have many or few from the outset, and they can develop over the years as they go on. They'll only become active when they are ready to be Planted."

"Once a Garden is Planted, it's rarely vulnerable unless there's some sort of catastrophic failure. It has happened before, but it's extremely rare and is usually because of some outside dark force. But...a seed is particularly vulnerable in the time frame from when it's awakened to after it's Planted and they're established in the Garden."

Thorin tilted his head. "How is it vulnerable?"

"It's, at that stage, very fragile and delicate. Any kind of perceived slight or rejection in that time can destroy it, even if it's not intended." He blew out a breath. “Two of the seeds you and I managed to create became active once I was on my way here. They were fully awake and ready to be Planted by the time I arrived here in Dale, and..." He sighed. "I had no idea how you would react to me, what could or would have been said. If you had reacted badly, even in a knee-jerk way that you really didn't mean, it could have destroyed the seeds that were active, and it's likely the ones that are still dormant would have remained that way. I couldn't risk it. Even now they're somewhat vulnerable and will remain that way for over a week, until they're settled." 

He motioned to the garden next to them, and Thorin gaped. Then he turned to Bilbo. "Our children are growing in there?"

Bilbo nodded. "At least two, since I planted two seeds. How many will remain to be seen, since we never know until the six-month mark and the flowers bloom that will tell us how many and whether they are male or female."

Thorin rubbed his face. "I understand why you didn't come. I wish you had. I'd have never rejected you, amrâlimê, but I do understand. And you just planted."

"I did," Bilbo said wryly. "Which means I'm stuck here for a year until they're ready to come out."

Thorin laughed a little. "What a mess. We have much to talk about, but considering both of us and how temperamental we are, we should probably save those discussions for after the danger is over. I'd not want us to accidentally cause them harm. I am not rejecting them or you, and I wholeheartedly want them. And you. For as long as you'll allow me. For the record. In case you were wondering."

Bilbo burst out laughing and then nodded. "Let's go inside then and join the other three. We can save the heavy conversation for a couple of weeks."

**Author's Note:**

> I realize that unregistered users might balk at not being able to comment anonymously, but I honestly don't care. If you're going to be a dick, you're going to have to own it.


End file.
